Can someone tell me where is the Axis of Evil?

Esfahan was our next destination after Shiraz. They say this is the jewel in this country; and I would have to agree. The hotel we stayed in (Abbasi Hotel) was a beautifully restored caravanserai. Over the next couple of days we took in the sights which were mainly located near the Imam Square.

Then it was onto the capital Tehran for our last day of the tour, which we spent visiting 3 museums - Carpet Museum (superb); National Museum of Iran (great exhibits, especially from Persepolis); and the National Jewels Museum (more security than anywhere else; no bags or cameras allowed; glittering jewels everywhere which I personally didn't find interesting and quite gaudy).

You can't help feeling that the general populace like the ruling mullahs a whole lot less than the international community. They just want to be left in peace to raise their families just like everyone else. Certainly there are a lot of anti-American slogans and you see flag-burning demonstrations on TV sometimes, but I never felt in any way unsafe. The hospitality that we have received has been wonderful. Given our efforts to look like the locals in our black manteaus and robes, I noticed we were approached more readily than other tourists. When any of our group were exploring or taking a breather on their own or in a small group, they would invariably be surrounded by locals curious as to our origins, our thoughts on their country, and why we wanted to visit the "Axis of Evil". We told them they should never believe everything they read in the press. There is no restriction on American tourists getting a visa to Iran; we heard several Yankee accents in other tour groups.

I have to say I really loved visiting Iran, and will definitely be back to see the parts that I missed. In particular I've been told of some great hiking trails in the mountains which pass nomadic villages, so if there are any takers for future trips......

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